12.18.2005

Meet Ella

My mom's xmas gift is done, with a week to spare to boot! You didn't doubt me, did you? After my last post, I worked 1.5 repeats more and then called it quits for a 65" wide shawl. Not bad, especially since my mom is 5'3" and shrinking. Personally, I would want it a little wider for myself to casually wrap it. As it is, I think I need to wear it super-hero style:

or maybe I just need to learn how to wear shawls. This is probably one of those things that comes with age, along with knowing how to do your taxes, finding the one lipstick that is perfect on you, and, possibly, understanding the true differences between 'casual', 'business casual', 'casual dress', 'business', and 'semi-formal' attire. Anyway, I probably would have kept going if it wasn't for a consultation with the Eunny Hotline, who's sage advice was to "STOP!" and stop I did. Who doesn't enjoy hearing they finished a project earlier than expected?

Ella is a pretty easy pattern, mostly stockinette stitch with a few increases and decreases thrown in. There's nothing really to memorize other than which two rows are the ones with the "YO2". For the rest, I just used the yo's and decreases to tell me how long I should knit straight till the next increase or decrease. The knitting was pretty fast, well, until that last repeat and a half at least. I think if I would have payed more attention to it during the week, then I would have finished sooner. No complaints though since I'm done with plenty of time and I think the final product came out lovely. I really like the neutral color with slight variations, the lightness of the yarn, and the warmth of the wool. In these pictures I was wearing a tank top, but was warm enough with the shawl around my shoulders. Perfect for the very mild winters in Miami or the very cold AC drafts my mom somehow finds herself under.

After wearing it in my apartment for a bit I think I need one of these for myself. I couldn't stop playing around with the shawl and staring at it until I finally boxed it up. I don't usually knit things twice though, so I think I have to find myself a swap where you send yarn to someone and they knit you the pattern you are sick of or never knit for youself. Or I could knit a GGH Soft Kid wrap from Rebecca 24, after talking with Purly about it we found that the patterns are virtually the same except for Ella being set up to widen while the Rebecca one is more of a stole.

Another beautiful knit, m'dear! I can't believe you finished it already. The shawl looks great, though I confess, I too lack the grown up ability to wear shawls with panache. The lipstick I have figured out (a combo of Nars Dolce Vita, with a nice gloss on top).

Pretty in a non-variegated yarn, shows the pattern better. Hee hee I feel the same about wearing triangle shawls, don't know how to keep it on in a stylish way. Can't help laughing about the "superhero" bit - that's the way I wear it too. I'm trying to find a brooch, maybe that will help, but not a brooch that is too grandmotherly, you know.

It's been so long since I filled comments I can't remember my own url. Pathetic, I know. You finished that Ella so fast! Great job! I really like the color, for a "winter" -- I'm more a Spring person (assuming spring means pastels) -- it manages to not be somber or depressing. I was a bit skeptical about Ella for the same reason as you -- the sample color was so, uhm, Summer? I'm finding that variegated yarns and lace don't always go together; one seems to swallow the other. Right now I'm working on a xmas present for my best friend, a lacy scarf in variegated purples, and it took me no less than TEN attempts with different lacy stitches. I've finally settled on something I like: seafoam pattern. On the size 3's, with the merino lace, the dropping of sts makes it go so much faster. I have a chance of finishing it in time for the 27th, I think.

Enough about you, let's talk about me.

Oh, ps, what a nice present you got from Eunny! I think I found her blog through yours, and now I'm addicted to it. Of course, incognito. I should say hello. That woman is an admirable yarn psycho.